Monthly Archives: October 2008

Oprah Winfrey is in mourning after the death of her beloved pet cocker spaniel Solomon, RADAR has learned.

The 14-year-old dog – a Christmas present from boyfriend Stedman Graham in 1994 — died on October 27 from kidney failure after months of dialysis treatment.

Solomon is the third of Oprah’s dogs to die agonizing deaths in the last 17 months: In March, Sophie, another cocker spaniel died – also of kidney failure – and in May last year her 2-year-old golden retriever Gracie choked to death on a small plastic ball.

Pulitzer prize-winning author, broadcaster, and activist Studs Turkel has died in his Chicago home at the age of 96.

Known for his wide-ranging work in recording oral histories, as well as over half a decade working as a radio host in Chicago, Turkel also gifted the world with some excellent quotes.

After learning of his passing on Friday, one, in particular, seems best suited to his remembrance:

“With optimism, you look upon the sunny side of things. People say, ‘Studs, you’re an optimist.’ I never said I was an optimist. I have hope because what’s the alternative to hope? Despair? If you have despair, you might as well put your head in the oven.”

May he rest in peace.

Author-radio host-actor-activist and Chicago symbol Louis “Studs” Terkel died today at his Chicago home at age 96.

At his bedside was a copy of his latest book, “P.S. Further Thoughts From a Lifetime of Listening,” scheduled for a November release.

Turkel was dedicated to chronicling oral histories of America’s working class, for which he received numerous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize.

Terkel won a 1985 Pulitzer Prize for “The Good War,” remembrances of World War II; contrasted rich and poor along the same Chicago street in “Division Street: America,” 1966; limned the Depression in “Hard Times,” 1970; and chronicled how people feel about their jobs in “Working,” 1974.

For his oral histories, he interviewed his subjects on tape, then transcribed and sifted. “What first comes out of an interview are tons of ore; you have to get that gold dust in your hands,” he wrote in his memoir. “Now, how does it become a necklace or a ring or a gold watch? You have to get the form; you have to mold the gold dust.”

The New York Times heralded Terkel as a “chronicler of the American Everyman” and credited him with establishing the oral history as “an important historical genre”.

Although detractors derided him as a sentimental populist whose views were simplistic and occasionally maudlin, Mr. Terkel was widely credited with transforming oral history into a popular literary form. In 1985 a reviewer for The Financial Times of London characterized Mr. Terkel’s books as “completely free of sociological claptrap, armchair revisionism and academic moralizing.”

If you need a more visual representation of all of these events, check out The Guardian’s helpful Sachsgate Timeline.

But keep in mind that not everyone agrees this “scandal” is worthy of such a melodramatic, international uproar. Many have spoken up to say that the entire incident has been “blown out of all proportion”.

The headlines about the BBC this week have been all about Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, and those prank phone calls.

The BBC itself has noted that “there is an alternative view we are seeing strongly expressed by our young audience which is certainly worth wider consideration.”

Among the comments from these younger listeners; “Everybody needs to calm down”; “It was funny, a joke. People are so boring”; “Leave Russell alone”; “Hey, they are comedians – it’s their job”; and “It’s been blown out of all proportion.”

Further proof that privacy is a thing of the pre-internet past: 13 Virgin Airlines staff members were fired on Friday after the company discovered that they had been criticizing the airline and passengers on Facebook.

As Ice-T told us, ever so long ago: “freedom of speech, just watch what you say”.

Especially when it comes to your employer. Or your friends. Or your family. Or yourself.

Actually, maybe you shouldn’t be on the internet at all. Yeah, that’s probably safer.

Virgin Atlantic sacked 13 cabin crew staff on Friday after they criticised some of the British airline’s passengers on the social networking website Facebook.

The airline opened an investigation on October 23 following complaints from passengers and other Virgin staff members over the cabin crew’s Facebook discussion.

“It was found that all 13 staff participated in a discussion on the networking site Facebook, which brought the company into disrepute and insulted some of our passengers,” Virgin Atlantic’s director of communications Paul Charles told Reuters.

“There’s a time and a place for Facebook. But there’s no justification for it to be used as a sounding board for staff of any company to criticise the very passengers who ultimately pay their salaries.”

The rocker has posted a free download of a new song, A Night With the Jersey Devil, on his Web site, www.brucespringsteen.net/news/index.html. The song has a blues beat, and Springsteen sings about “16 witches casting 16 spells.”

Writes Springsteen: “If you grew up in central or south Jersey you grew up with the Jersey Devil. Here’s a little musical Halloween treat. Have fun!”

There’s also a video showing Springsteen as the legendary Jersey Devil.

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The Low Down

Culturite explores Indigeneity, politics, media, hip-hop, art, culture, philosophy & technology. I'm also on Tumblr and Twitter. Here's a short bio and for more info about past & current projects, check the About Me page. Get in touch: jarrett.martineauATgmail.com.